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BIRM

Bachelor of Information and Records Management

Bachelor of Information and Records Management (BIRM) programme aims to produce graduates with a great ability and understanding as well as professional attitudes and perspectives in information and records management. At all levels, it has particular emphasis to application of ICT in managing information and records.

ABOUT PROGRAMME

Programme Availability: Sokoine National Agricultural Library
Host Department: Department of Information & Records Studies
Level of Study: Undergraduate Degree
Mode of Study: Full Time
Programme Duration: 3 Years

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

TEACHING

The programme shall constitute core courses, which are compulsory to all students and elective courses that shall be selected to meet the minimum requirement of 60 credits per semester. Students shall register for all core courses and shall select appropriate elective courses in a semester based on their interest and carrier.
 
SEMESTER I

CORE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE        
IRM 100    Foundations of Information Science                        
IRM 101    Fundamentals of Communication                        
IRM 102    Principles of Records Management                        
INF 110     Introduction to Microcomputers and Applications                        
IRM 103    Reference Services and Resources                        
                      
ELECTIVE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE 
DS 100      Principles, Theories and Contemporary Issues of Development                        
SC 100**   Communication Skills I                        
MTH 102   Basic Mathematics                        
IRM 103    Reference Services and Resources                        
IRM 104    Publishing and Book Trade                        
                       
SEMESTER II
                          
CORE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE  
MTH 106   Introductory Statistics                        
IRM 110    Collection Development and Management                        
SC 101     Communication Skills II                        
IRM 111    Managing Registries and Record Centres                        
IRM 112    Cataloguing and Classification I                        
                      
ELECTIVE COURSES
IRM 113    Office Management and Practice                        
IRM 114    Desktop Publishing                        
INF 105    Fundamentals of Computer Networks                        
INF 108    ICT for Development                        
                        
SEMESTER III     
                            
CORE COURSES

CODE        MODULE TITLE  
IRM 200    Database Management Systems                        
IRM 201    Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Rights                        
IRM 202    Marketing of Information Services                        
IRM 203    Appraisal and Disposal of Records                        
IRM 204    Information Literacy                        
                   
ELECTIVE COURSES

IRM 205    Business Information Systems                        
IRM 206    Managing Personnel Records                        
IRM 207    Managing Legal Records                        
IRM 208    Information Services for Rural Communities                        
                      
SEMESTER IV

CORE COURSES
 
CODE       MODULE TITLE        
IRM 210    Automating Information Services                        
IRM 211    Managing Electronic Records and Archives                        
IRM 213    Cataloguing and Classification II                        
IRM 214    Managing Archives                        
IRM 215    Web Technology                        
                       
ELECTIVE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE 
IRM 216    Repackaging and Dissemination of Information                        
IRM 217    Managing Health Records                        
IRM 218    Management Information Systems                        
                        
SEMESTER V       
                            
CORE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE 
IRM 300    Preservation of Records and Information Resources                        
IRM 301    Copyrights and Related Rights                        
IRM 302    Legal, Policy and Ethical Issues in Information Management                        
IRM 303    Project 1: Research Methods and Proposal Development                        
IRM 304    Information Security                        
                     
ELECTIVE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE 
IRM 305    Managing Financial Records                        
INF 315     Information Architecture                        
IRM 306    Management of Museums                        
IRM 307    Management Principles and Practice                        
                      
SEMESTER VI     
     
CORE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE 
IRM 310    Infopreneurship                        
IRM 311    Management of Business Archives                        
IRM 312    Abstracting and Indexing                        
IRM 313    Knowledge Management and Systems                        
IRM 314    Research Project 2                        
                  
ELECTIVE COURSES

CODE       MODULE TITLE 
IRM 315    Science Communication                        
IRM 316    Project Planning and Management                        
IRM 317    Managing Land Records                        
                    

ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATIONS

Criteria for various coursework assessments and end-of-semester University examinations shall follow the General University Examination Regulations of SUA’s undergraduate degree programmes.

The following examination regulations apply to the Bachelor of Information and Record Management:

Programme Assessment Strategy
(i) There shall be written examinations at the end of each semester for each course.
(ii) Candidates shall be required to pass each course.
(iii) The pass mark for each paper shall be 50%.
(iv) The general university examination regulations for undergraduate degree programmes shall apply.

Examination General format & Examination Regulations
Coursework assessment for courses with formal practical shall be as follows:
(i) Practical tests and reports shall carry 40% of the assessment. Out of 40%, the practical test shall carry 30% and practical reports shall carry 10%.
(ii) Candidates shall be required to pass the practical component separately.
(iii) Tests and assignments, which will be given at appropriate stages during the semester, shall carry 20% of the assessment. Out of 20%, the test shall carry 15% and the assignments shall carry 5%.
(iv) The end of semester examination shall account for 40% of the assessment.

Coursework assessment for courses without formal practical component shall be as follows:
(i) Tests and assignments which shall be given at appropriate stages during the semester shall carry 40% of the marks for the examination paper. Out of 40%, the test shall carry 30% and essays and assignments shall carry 10%.
(ii) The final written examination paper shall account for 60%.

Examination Moderations, Practical and Thesis Assessment.
Where applicable University examination moderations will be carried out by both internal and external moderators. In order to effectively implement UQF requirements, all procedures shall be done in accordance to SUA Quality Assurance and Promotion Bureau guidelines.
External moderation of BIRM examinations shall be carried out by senior instructors with competency in relevant subject/discipline or related field from recognized higher learning institutions.

Conditions for continuation and discontinuation
(i) A candidate shall be allowed to proceed to the next academic unit under a continuing status after passing the examinations in all core courses and elective courses that make a minimum of 120 credits. Such a candidate shall have passed a minimum of 60 credits per semester
(ii) A candidate failing to get a total of 80 credits and a GPA of 2.0, based on the best 120 credits including all core courses and electives in that academic unit shall be discontinued from studies.
(iii) A candidate failing in one or more paper(s) and having passed at least 80 credits with a GPA of at least 2.0 in that academic unit shall be required to sit for probation examination(s) offered before the start of the subsequent academic unit.
(iv) A candidate who fails probation examinations shall be allowed to proceed to the next academic unit as a probation candidate. Such a candidate shall be required to retake the examination(s) as a third attempt during the subsequent probation examination session.
(v) A candidate who fails to graduate after failing probation examination(s) shall be required to sit for the respective examination as a third attempt when next offered except where, upon request on account of extenuating circumstances, a written permission to postpone third attempt to probation session has been granted.

Exit levels available with respect to UQF description
Regulations pertaining to coursework evaluation shall be as per SUA general regulations and guidelines. Candidates shall be evaluated by both continuous assessments and end of the course university examinations. A minimum of 360 credits must be attained for a candidate to qualify for the award of BIRM.

Successful completion of all core and selected elective courses in year two will qualify the candidate for a UQF Higher diploma. Successful completion of all core, and selected elective courses in year one, two and three (Semester I to VI) will qualify the candidate BIRM degree.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The intention is that at the end of the programme the candidate should be able to:

  • Describe scientific principles and practices applicable in information and records management activities.
  • Organize different types of information and record formats in accordance to the internationally recognized standards
  • Apply knowledge management concepts and strategies to address various forms of information and records management practices
  • Classify different types of information facilities (libraries, information centres, documentation centres, record centres, archives etc) and be able to manage their day to day activities
  • Solve information and records management problems by effective utilization of principles of information management and records administration
  • Identify appropriate ICTs and use them effectively to manage information and to administer records in various organizations
  • Identify business opportunities in information and records management activities and articulate them as employment opportunities 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Admission for the Bachelor of Information and Records Management requires the following qualifications. 

DIRECT STUDENTS
The minimum requirements for admission of direct entrants into undergraduate degree programmes shall be TWO PRINCIPAL LEVEL PASSES (4.0 points of the current NECTA grading system) in the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE) level save for as would be amended from time to time by senate.

EQUIVALENT STUDENTS
Diploma Certificate with a GPA of not less than 3.0 and a minimum of FOUR passes or THREE credits in relevant subjects in the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE; O-level).

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL) CANDIDATES
Candidates seeking admission through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) shall be required to have a valid RPL certificate obtained after passing an RPL examination relevant to the degree programme being applied for as recommended by senate

CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM
Admission into SUA undergraduate degree programmes under credit transfer system is conditional on:

  1. Course in university of origin being accredited by TCU.
  2. SUA having a credit transfer arrangement with the university from which the credits have to be transferred.
  3. SUA having approved equivalency of subjects/modules/courses from which the credits originate.
  4. Proof (through authenticated detailed transcript) of acquisition of credits for course prerequisite for the entry point.
  5. Direct candidates for a diploma programme shall be required to have an A-level certificate with at least one principal pass or two passes in ACSEE with  minimum total TWO points in one/two subjects from among subjects prescribed as relevant to the diploma programme.
  6. An equivalent candidate for a diploma programme will be required to have a relevant post-O-level certificate of at least Credit level and O-level certificate  with at least FOUR passes or THREE credits in relevant subjects.

TRANSFER AND PROGRESSION 
Progression Routes into this Programme, Progression Routes from this Programme, vertical articulation and horizontal articulations.
Vertically, successful completion of BIRM at SUA will enable a graduate to progress for postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma or master degree studies in the relevant disciplines.

Horizontally, it will be possible for BIRM students to transfer accumulated credits to recognized institutions offering similar programmes. Similarly, students enrolled in similar programmes in other institutions can transfer their accumulated credits to join BIRM.

 

HELP AND SUPPORT

Admission Help desk
Directorate of Undergraduate Studies,
Sokoine University of Agriculture,
P.O. Box 3000, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro
Tel: +255765997885 OR +255692762372
Emailadmission@suanet.ac.tz

Head of Department
P.O. Box 3022, Chuo Kikuu,
Morogoro, Tanzania
Tel: +255 23 260 4639 
Email: dirs@suanet.ac.tz 

Course Fee : 1,263,000 Tsh Per Year

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